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In Shakespeare’s play Othello, Iago is portrayed as the antagonist. ... One can conclude that this action fabricated by Iago is evil and deceptive. Iago acts as the catalyst for Othello’s change. He is the motive behind Othello’s changing views on his wife Desdemona, which in turn results in the deaths of many of the characters in this tragedy. All of Shakespeare’s works contain a classic battle between the deceitful forces of evil and the innocence of good. Understanding Iago’s deceitful motives will allow a reader to better comprehend the overall significance of the play.
In order to understand the role Iago plays in destroying Othello, it is important to understand how Iago uses other characters in the play to set his devious plot into motion. Iago is an expert judge of character and uses this to his full advantage. Iago successfully manipulates the characters involved so that their perceptions of each other change dramatically. Thus leading to Othello’s transformation and Othello’s changing views towards his wife Desdemona.
Roderigo is the first to fall under Iago’s spell of manipulation. Iago realizes that Roderigo is upset about losing Desdemona to Othello. “As the play opens, Iago assures his gull, Roderigo, that he hates Othello, and he states the only true motive for his hatred, which is what Milton’s Satan calls a Sense of Injured Merit” (Bloom, Invention of the Human 434). Iago’s ego is belittled as a result of being passed over for promotion to lieutenant by Othello. ... Iago is enraged with Othello and craves revenge. He realizes that by playing on Roderigo’s jealousy he can gain an ally to work against Othello. Iago makes his intentions clear when he says, “Thus do I ever make my fool my purse” (Shakespeare 1148). Throughout the play, Iago leads Roderigo by the collar claiming that he hates the Moor and telling Roderigo to make money so that he can give gifts to Desdemona to win her over. During the entire play, however, Iago is just taking those gifts that Roderigo intends for Desdemona and keeping them for himself. Near the end of the play Roderigo finally begins to question Iago’s honesty, saying “I say ‘tis very scurvy, and begin to find myself fopped in it” (Shakespeare 1199). When Iago is faced with this accusation, he simply proposes another devious scheme. He claims that killing Cassio will aid to Roderigo’s cause and, as suspected, Roderigo blindly falls for it: hook, line, and sinker.
Approximate Word count = 2102
Approximate Pages = 8.4
(250 words per page double spaced)
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